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Take a walk down any “natural” or “organic” food aisle at your local grocery store, and you’ll see tons of “organic” foods choices: from produce, to cereals, to chips, to yogurts and even crackers. These choices can be both overwhelming and expensive, as organic foods generally cost more. We don’t eat everything organic but there are certain things that are definitely worth making the cross over for. One of the things we don’t mind spending that extra bit of money on is organic meat! There is a great difference in the practices of organic and non-organic farmers which leads to a difference in the quality and nutrition between organic and non-organic meat. This post will explain why it may be worth it to spend a little more to invest in your body.

The above photo shows the difference between an organic chicken (on the right) and a non-organic chicken on the left.

Animals that are raised organic are not fed animal by-products and are not given growth hormones or antibiotics. Instead they are fed natural ingredients like grass.

Non-organic animals are given/fed animal by-products, growth hormones and antibiotics– each of which can causes serious problems if consumed. In some cases, even sewage is allowed to be fed to non-organic livestock – ew! Remember that saying you are what you eat? Keep that in mind when selecting your meat (and everything you eat for that matter J) If you are eating a cut of beef and that cow was given these types of things, then you are consuming them as well.

Animal by-products

It is often cheaper for farmers to feed their non-organic livestock animal by-products. After an animal has been slaughtered, all the inedible parts (feet, brains, lungs, etc…) are kept and reprocessed into food for non-organic livestock. This helps fatten up the animals and get them to slaughter quicker. Cannibalism much??! This method has contributed to outbreaks of Mad Cow disease (BSE) and obviously isn’t great for the animals.

Growth hormones

To help animals grow quicker and be ready for slaughter sooner, farmers give their livestock growth hormones such as steroids. As you know, steroids are bad…so if the animal you are eating was given steroids, you are now consuming them as well. This creates negative health effects on humans. Growth hormones have been linked to the development of cancer and reproductive problems.

Antibiotics

Non-organically raised animals are given high levels of antibiotics as a preventative measure to ensure the animals stay healthy up until slaughter. The problem is, these antibiotics stay in the meat meaning we consume them as well. When we consume these antibiotics regularly, our bodies get used to them. So, when we get sick, antibiotics can become ineffective because our bodies have adapted to them already.

The following table shows what’s permitted to be fed to non-organic livestock in the United States.

We not only recommend making the cross over to organic meat because of what the animals are fed but also because of how they are treated. Organic raised livestock are treated in a more human way. They are given more room to roam and graze, meaning they get exercise which contributes to healthier animals. Think about it, if they are able to roam, then they will be leaner. And if you want to be lean, you should be eating lean meat, right?! Factory farms that raise non organic livestock treat the animals in the opposite way. Their main goal is to produce as much meat as possible with minimal cost. As a result, the animals are subject to inhuman conditions. They are not given the opportunity to move around and often don’t even see the light of day. In fact in non-organic factory chicken farms the chickens are often jammed into a large pen with no room for movement and no natural light is let in. Often times they are not even able to physically move because they are so fat that their legs can no longer support their body weight.

* It is important to note that some organic farms may only do the minimal to meet the requirements of becoming organic, but they are still better than the alternative.

Eating organic can definitely be expensive. But if you are willing to spend a little extra money every week on an organic item, we highly recommend that that item be meat. Organic meat is void of many toxins which can lead to health problems, so we feel that it is worth paying a bit more to really make an investment in your own health!

When it comes to eating clean, many people have the idea that the only “clean” sources of protein are chicken and turkey – people forget about all of the delicious and nutrient-dense kinds of fish that are available to us.

Many consider fish to be one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Fish is high in protein, which is great for building muscle and has Omega-3s fats, which is great for the health of the brain and heart and overall health. Fish can also raise good cholesterol, and lower “bad” cholesterol.

Salmon

For most people, fish = salmon. Salmon is widely consumed and can be cooked in a variety of ways (nothing beats grilled salmon on the BBQ…). Wild (Pacific or Alaskan) Salmon is the most nutritious and has the best quality of Omega fats. Farmed (Atlantic) Salmon is less nutritious and has lower quality fats.

Per 112g

Calories: 170

Protein: 24g

Fat: 8g

Salmon is great, but there are so many more awesome types of fish out there, let’s take a look at some!

Herring

Herring is a smaller fish that is loaded with Omega-3s as well as Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D.

Per112g

Calories: 180

Protein:20g

Fat:12g

Flounder

Flounder can be found in most supermarkets. It’s a whitefish that is low in fat and is both cheap and easy to cook! It is also a good source of Selenium.

Per 112g

Calories: 104

Protein: 20g

Fat: 0g

Mackerel

Mackerel has more than twice the amount of Omega-3s per serving compared to Salmon. It is also high in Vitamin B12, Vitamin D and Phosphorus.

Per 112g

Calories: 230

Protein:21g

Fat:16g

Snapper

Snapper is great for building lean muscle. It is high in protein and low in fat. It is also a great source of Selenium. Plus it’s delicious!

Per 218g

Calories: 218

Protein: 45g

Fat: 3g

Halibut

Halibut is another white fish that is loaded with protein, which makes it great for building muscle.

Per 204g

Calories: 224g

Protein 42g

Fat: 5g

Striped bass

Striped Bass is a great source of Omega-3s. It is actually better to buy farmed striped bass due to the fact that wild striped bass contains more pesticides.

Per 159g

Calories: 154

Protein: 28g

Fat: 4g

As you can see fish are extremely nutritious, and there are tons of great recipes if you are worried about that fishy taste. I highly recommend adding fish into your meat protein repertoire! Stay tuned for some good fish recipes!

The weather seems to be getting nicer (knock on wood!) and today is the first day of summer. So we thought this was the perfect time to write a post about healthy and active summer date ideas!

Now of course you don’t want to go out with your hunny and do something that’s going to leave you sweaty and stinky…so here are some active/healthy date ideas that won’t leave you sweaty!

Picnic

What a great way to enjoy a nice healthy meal together while enjoying the beautiful weather. Pack a healthy lunch with sandwiches, fruits, salads, veggies and dip then bring it to a park and sit down and enjoy it together.

Biking

Biking is actually a great date activity. And if you are going for a leisurely ride, you can ride side by side (wow I just felt like Dr. Seuss writing that line!) and talk as you ride. You can even bike to your picnic destination! You can also bike to a cute little coffee shop (where you will order your coffee without cream and sugar right?!) and sit outside and enjoy the sun. There are so many places you can get to on a bike –especially for those of you living in Ottawa. You wouldn’t believe how many bike paths we have. And if you are not aiming to be Lance Armstrong (without the doping of course) and go for a leisurely ride with your partner, you won’t be too sweaty.

Hiking

Put on your hiking gear and a backpack with water and healthy snacks and head for the hills with your hunny. Hiking is a great way to keep your body moving and working hard. It will also help build endurance and strength and it’s even more enjoyable when you do it with someone else!

Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is a great physical activity that builds strength. We think it’s a good Summer date idea because it really helps work on communication skills and building trust. When you are on the rock/wall you will be relying on your partner to not only hold you up and keep you steady, you will also rely on them to communicate with you in terms of where and how you can work your way up. Open communication and trust are two key components of a healthy, functional relationship so why not work on them in a fun way?!

Boat Ride

Find a place where you can rent a boat – whether it be a paddle boat, row boat canoe or kayak. You will be sure to get a upper body workout (minus the paddle boat) while spending time together in a beautiful setting. You will have to work together to make yourselves go anywhere so it also becomes a great team work activity- and we definitely look at being in a relationship like being on a team.

Play Chef

Take turns playing Chef for one another. Plan out a healthy meal and prepare it for your partner. What a great way to show them how much you like/love them. Remember the saying ladies, the way to a mans heart is through his stomach! And if you want that to be a nice looking stomach that you could wash clothing on, I suggest preparing a healthy meal 😉 .

Go to the Beach

There is nothing better than a beach date in the Summer. You can get a good upper body workout by jumping in the water and swimming, you can go for a walk along the sand or toss a Frisbee or football. What a great way to spend some time together outside in a fun setting. Just don’t forget sunscreen, and a water bottle!

Water Park

They aren’t just for kids – grown ups can go too!! They always have super fun rides and you normally have to walk up a hill or stairs to get there – so you’ll be getting exercise without even realizing it! If you want to keep it a healthy date, pack your own lunch and steer clear of the hot dogs and pizza.

Yoga

This may sound like a weird one, but doing yoga together can be a great summer date – especially if you take it outside! You can either do your own session at a park, look for a studio or teacher that offers outdoor sessions* or go to parliament hill Wednesdays at lunch and do it there! There are also some places that offer partner yoga*! Yoga is a great way to build strength and patience, clear your mind, and if you are doing partner yoga –team work!

We hope you like our Summer date ideas! Message us if you have any other great healthy and/or active Summer date ideas – we’d love to hear them!

S & L

If you are interested in doing yoga sessions outdoors check out *insert ciaras link*

If you are interested in trying a partner yoga class Cherry Blossom studios offeres classes on Friday nights at 7:00

We have written about how important it is to read food labels when trying to make healthy choices in the supermarket. One thing you will see often listed on food labels is “fat free”, “low fat” and “reduced fat”. Now the question is; do these foods fall into the healthier choice category? If you want to know the answer – keep reading!

First of all it’s important to note that food companies are allowed to label foods as “fat free” or “reduced fat” so long as the actual number is lower than a pre-determined number of grams per servicing. So when you see those types of labels you need to understand what they really mean.

According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency:

“Free of fat food contains less than 0.5 g of fat per serving of stated size and per reference amount.

… Low in fat food contains 3 g or less of fat per serving of stated size and per reference amount.”

Often times we see these labels and automatically think that these products are healthier choices than the full fat ones. Unfortunately that’s not really the case. Think about it, if all the fat is removed from something, a lot of the taste of the product will be removed along with it. So what do food manufacturers do to compensate? They add other ingredients like sugar, flour, thickeners and salt. These ingredients add the flavour back in, while boosting the calorie count at the same time. So sure, maybe that “low fat” salad dressing you have in your cart has less fat than the regular one, but it also probably has more crap in it too and just as many, if not more calories than the regular version.

Fat free may sound like a healthy choice, but the reality is that your body needs fat. And it’s not so much the amount of fat you eat that’s important it’s the type of fat. Remember, there are good fats, and bad fats! When it comes to health you want need to consume good fats. Let’s quickly go over the difference between good fats and bad fats (for more info click here). Good fats are heart healthy such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. They can be found in foods such as olive oil, avocado, nuts and fatty fish like tuna and salmon. These types of healthy fats also play a role in your body’s ability to absorb vitamins like A, D, E and K and they help lower bad cholesterol. Consuming good fats will increase your feeling of fullness and supply your body with necessary nutrients – so you definitely want to incorporate good fat into your daily diet.

Bad fats are saturated fats found in animal products like beef, pork, butter and other full fat dairy products. As we talked about in a recent post, trans fats are another bad fat you absolutely want to steer clear of. They are found in hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils that you are often used in crackers, baked products, fast food and processed foods.

So to answer the question I posed at the beginning…no, foods labeled as “fat free”, “reduced fat” or “low fat” are not always a healthier choice. It is important that you don’t make your decision to buy food products solely off these types of advertisements. You need to read the entire food label. Check to see what else has been added to the product to make up for the fat that was taken out. Check to see the calorie count and serving size and compare it against the full fat product. And remember, if you are avoiding processed and packaged foods, and making things like salad dressing from scratch, you wont have to worry about this at all J !

Summer is here…and with that comes a lot of events, gathering and traditions revolving around food! More often than not that food is not very healthy – but with a few small changes it could be healthier!

This post is going to hopefully help you defer some common summer calorie bombs by replacing them with healthier versions!

Hamburger

A summer classic for sure, but if you are not careful hamburgers can be huge calorie bombs. They can be loaded with bad fat, pre-made patties are often high in sodium, condiments like ketchup are made with sugar and a white bun is just no good for you! To give your hamburger a healthy makeover, opt for lean means like ground chicken or turkey for your patty. Make your own patties using healthy ingredients (include diced up veggies!) and minimal salt. Instead of a bun use a leafy green, Portobello mushrooms or eat it naked! If you really want a bun, go for a whole grain one, and you can even just have one bun on the bottom. For your sides go for grilled veggies, corn with no butter, salad with a light homemade dressing or sweet potato fries!

Popsicles

On a hot summers day you may turn to a popsicle or freezy to beat the heat…the problem is they are both pretty much just made from sugar. Instead, make your own popsicles by blending a smoothie, pouring it into a popsicle or ice cube tray and freezing it. Looking for something cold , quenching and sweet? Opt for a homemade fruit salad!

Movie Popcorn

Summer is the season when all the best movies come to theatres. We love popcorn, and movie popcorn is especially delicious, but it is loaded with calories! If you are going to a movie theatre let’s be realistic, there aren’t any healthy alternatives. So you pretty much have two healthier options: you either you pack a few healthy snacks and sneak them into the theatre…or you order a small popcorn with no butter! I know the large gets free refills and that’s extremely tempting, but by choosing a small it helps ensure you won’t be eating mindlessly, you will probably eat more slowly and the small size and absence of butter will drastically decrease the amount of calories.

Chips and Dip

You’re at a BBQ and are looking for a quick pre-BBQ snack for guests. You probably automatically think chips and dip. Obviously, chips are processed and most are fried, so they aren’t a healthy choice. Typical dips you buy in a grocery store are made with cheese, sour cream or mayo…aka bad fat! Instead, buy or prepare an assorted veggie platter.

And for the dip, chose a hummus (there are so many great kinds!), or if you want a creamy dip make your own using 0% greek yogurt as the base and add fresh herbs and lemon juice to it.

Fruity Cocktails and Ice Cold Beer

With summer comes summer cocktails and ice cold beer. Most of these types of cocktails are pretty much made up of alcohol and sugar which means they are extremely high in calories. So, if you are planning to enjoy a cocktail, make your own and be smart about the ingredients. Use less alcohol, with and choose ingredients with less or no artificial sugar. Instead of having 3 or 4, take your time and enjoy 1. After you have finished the one, switch to something else like spring or sparkling water.

Drinking a 2-4 of beer will not only get you hammered it will ruin your waistline. This summer instead of pounding back the beers why not try a different approach…have one or two! As beer is high in calories, go for a lower calorie of light beer. And who cares if your friends chirp you! You will have the last laugh when they are walking around with huge beer bellies and you are rocking 6-pack abs! 😉

S’mores

If you are at a cottage or going camping, you will probably stop to pick up three things, graham crackers, milk chocolate and marshmallows. S’mores are a classic treat to enjoy while sitting around a camp fire. If you are looking for a healthier version here’s what we suggest…Marshmallows are sweet, which makes sense because they are pretty much just made of sugar. Out of all the components of a s’more, this is the one you want to throw out the window. Instead, go for a slice of pineapple (stay with us!). Slice up the pineapple and roast a slice over the coals of your camp fire. Then put a square of dark chocolate on one graham cracker and place the grilled pineapple on top of the chocolate. Voila – a healthier version of a s’more! And if you don’t like pineapple try another fruit like a banana- they go great with chocolate!

Summer is an awesome time of year when so many memories coming from being with family and friends are built. Of course you are going to indulge here and there over the summer – and that’s okay. Our goal with this post was to show you that there are healthier versions of summer classics that are just as tasty! If you are going to enjoy a summer classic and you know it’s a calorie bomb – watch your portions and maybe add a little something extra to your workout the next day ;).

Last weekend marked my second time doing the Rideau Lakes Bike Ride. My mom and I rode from Perth to Kingston Saturday and then Kingston to Perth Sunday. It was such as amazing weekend so I thought I would share it with you all!

The weekend started with me getting up bright and early on Saturday morning- 5:30 am, which amusingly enough is actually sleeping in for me! Because I am an organizational freak, all my stuff was ready to go, so all I had to do was put on my cycling gear and eat breakfast. I knew I needed to have fuel in my tank, but I didn’t want to eat so much that I felt weight down. I had a grapefruit and whole grain toast with natural peanut butter – it was delish! My parents were picking me up and of course my father was running behind, but they made it to me eventually! Once the car was loaded and ready to go we headed off to the Ottawa check in spot to drop off my dad, then my mom and I headed off to Perth.

It was kind of a gloomy day, but luckily we missed the rain. My father and his friends on the other hand were not so lucky! It wasn’t long before we were on our bikes and ready to hit the open road! Last year was my first time doing the ride so I had no idea what to expect. There were more hills than I was expecting, so this year I made sure to train harder on the hills prior to the ride.

Scott and I hit up Gatineau park Sunday mornings and climbed up to Champlain lookout and then back down to the bottom. I must say, that extra hill training really made a difference- this year I felt like I was flying! I was definitely a lot stronger than last year – it is crazy what you can train your body to do. We made a couple stops on our way to Kingston to fuel and use the facilities ;).

We rolled into Kingston at about 1:30. I had been thinking we still had another 20 minutes or so to go, so when I came over a hill and saw Kingston below I was so happy and slightly relieved! As soon as we got off our bikes we gave each other a huge hug. It’s such an amazing feeling to arrive there and know that you got yourself there on your own strength and will power. It was even more special to share that moment with my momma! We then of coursed stretched, which after 4+ hours on a bike felt incredible. My dad and his buddies arrived shortly after and then it was time to pass out! Except for his crazy Iron Man friends who decided that going for a run after an 188km bike ride would be fun!!

After we arose from our comas, we all feasted together. Although I had just burned a crap ton of calories and worked my butt off for the better part of the day – I still tried to make healthy, smart choices. My plate was loaded with lean protein, carbs, veggies and good fat. For dessert, a ton of fruit and a bite of a brownie 😉 – yum! And after the feast, it was time to go for a walk and go out for a second dinner! I was still full from the first dinner, so I just went along for the walk and the company J. It’s always so nice to sit around with like-minded people who all share the same passion and enthusiasm for living a healthy and active life. And to hear all their crazy stories from the day! After dinner we all retreated to our rooms and hit the hay for the night.

The next morning we all met up again for breakfast and made sure to fuel up for the ride. It’s always funny to see all the cyclists walking out of breakfast with a handful of bananas and whatever else they can sneak out and snack on during the ride. It’s even funnier on the ride home to see those bananas sticking out of their cycling shirt pockets! It’s crazy what you can fit in those things! The weather on Sunday was a much nicer than Saturday- Mr. Sun was with us the whole way home J. I am always cold though, so I started with warmer riding clothes and stripped off a layer at every stop. We had a great ride home and actually made better time than the first day!

All in all it was an amazing weekend. Training was extremely time consuming (probably didnt’t help that I am also training for my sprint –tri!), but it’s so worth it! Like I said, there is no better feeling that finishing the ride and knowing that you got yourself there with your own body. It may seem long, but time flies. I put my self-motivation tools to use which definitely made a difference. Any time I was on a tough hill (there is one going into Westport that I swear goes straight up!), I would talk to myself and tell myself I could do it. If I was starting to feel like I had so much farther to go, I would think about my checkpoints and just focus on making it to the next one. When I knew I was getting close to the finish, I visualized the end of the ride and that drove me to it. A little self-motivation sure goes a long way!

So that is how I spent my Saturday and Sunday last week-riding 200km, feasting, and spending time with my two amazing (and super fit!) parents.

For anyone interested in cycling, I highly recommend doing the Rideau Lakes Tour!

As we have mentioned, we have created our own home gym and that’s where we do most of our indoor workouts. Our home gym wasn’t born overnight – over the years we have slowly added more and more to it. We love the convenience of being able to workout in the comfort of our own home. And if you are committed, you can get just as good of a workout at home as you would in a gym – and save some money in the process!

If you are looking to start working out at home – don’t be overwhelmed. You don’t need to go out and buy tons of fancy and expensive equipment. At least not to start 😉 . And you don’t need to have a huge area to set your gym up in.

Here is a list of our top 5 “must haves” when creating your own home gym!

Exercise Video

If you are working out at home, chances are you are going to be doing some exercise videos. So, of course you will need to have them in your gym! It may be a program like P90X or Insanity, or you may have an assortment that you rotate through. We have done many of the BeachBody programs, so we have all the DVDs but we also have kickboxing, yoga, Pilates, bosu ball and core videos. If you like doing videos but don’t want to follow a pre-selected program – you can make your own! You can build your collection slowly, a lot of times we find great videos on sale. Having a nice variety is always a good idea because that way you won’t get bored always doing them same videos.

DVD Player and TV

If you are going to be working out to videos, it only makes sense to have a DVD player to put them in and a TV to watch them on right?! It doesn’t need to be a huge flat screen, plasma, HD TV mounted on the wall…any old TV will do. You know that huge box TV you have been wanting to get rid of? Well, it would be perfect as your gym TV! And DVD players are pretty reasonably priced these days so you won’t have to break the bank on that either.

Free Weights/Bands

There is a lot you can do with your own body weight, but there is even more you can do with free weights! We recommend going out and getting some dumbbells for your home gym. Consider your current fitness level and select them accordingly. As your fitness level and strength increases, you can go out and add heavier dumbbells to your collection. There are so many options out there, and they are pretty reasonable priced. If you are looking for more bang for your buck or don’t have room for a ton of dumbbells, we recommend buying bars and weight plates so that you can adjust your weights.

If you aren’t a fan of dumbbells, bands are a great alternative. The color of the band correlates to the difficulty, so keep that in mind when picking them up. There are lots of great moves you can do with bands and there are so many different kinds out there. You can buy ones with handles on the end so you can grip them easily, you can buy straight flat bands and you can buy circled bands that you can wrap around your ankles to make certain moves more challenging. Not only are they good for resistance training, they are also great for flexibility training and stretching.

Yoga Mat

Mats aren’t just for yoga, but of course if you are doing yoga you need a mat! They are also good for stretching and flexibility training and ab work. If your gym floor is carpeted, doing what you can on a mat is a good idea because it means your sweat isn’t falling all over the carpet! Yoga mats can be rolled up and neatly tucked away. You can also use them to lay your weights or other equipment down on so your carpets/floors are protected.

Stability Ball

The reason a stability ball made our list is because it is so versatile. You can use them for core moves, they help with balance and they are great for stretching. You can even use it as a chair and work on your posture! They do take up a bit more room, so if you are in a tight space you may want to leave this one out, but if you have the space – we highly recommend including one in your home gym setup.

So there you have it, our top 5 list of “must haves” when creating a home gym. With these 5 things, you should be able to open for business! Just don’t forget the Febreeze 😉